Licensed Social Worker

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area is seeking a Social Worker for Foster Care to coordinate services for children in the DC child welfare system and their families. The role focuses on safety, well-being, and developing permanency plans with bi-monthly visits and collaboration among teams.

Responsibilities include ensuring medical and educational needs are met, writing court reports, and facilitating family and service-provider meetings to implement individualized treatment

Qualifications

• Knowledge or understanding of child welfare systems and guidance.
• Experience in family therapy and/or trauma-informed therapy is preferred.
• Must have reliable and accessible transportation and valid driver’s license with vehicle insurance.
• Must pass child protection clearances and background checks.

Responsibilities

• Provide bi-monthly visits to children in foster care and ensure safety and well-being.
• Ensure needs for physical, medical, educational and therapeutic services are met.
• Develop and monitor permanency plans and conduct team meetings to update treatment plans.
• Write court reports and present in court; ensure compliance with orders.

Skills

Child welfare knowledge

Cultural competence

Time management

Education

MSW, licensed in DC and MD

Job description

The Social Worker for LSSNCA Foster Care is responsible for the coordination of services and care for children in foster care and their families involved in the District of Columbia child welfare system. The Social Worker monitors and ensures the safety and overall well-being of clients and families served, makes both formal and informal assessments of clients served in order to develop a permanency plan to ensure timely permanency is achieved.

Essential Functions:

• Provide bi-monthly visits to children residing in foster homes or birth family homes and additional visits as needed to ensure the safety and well-being of youth on their caseload.
• Ensure that children’s physical, medical, educational and therapeutic service needs are appropriately met.
• Ensure that each child has an appropriate permanency plan and that every team member is working together to reach the permanency goal.
• Conduct family assessments to develop individual/family case plans and treatment plans based on the needs of the child and family.
• Write court reports and make verbal presentations in court.
• Ensure that all court orders are met.
• Ensure appropriate referrals are made for the youth and birth family regarding mental health, medical, educational and placement stability.
• Ensure that the birth families’ needs are being met and that the children are visiting when appropriate.
• Ensure that all documentation in FACES is accurate and timely.
• Facilitate team meetings quarterly in conjunction with biological family, foster parents, services providers, legal team and child in order to develop and update individualized treatment plans and quarterly staffing plans for all youth on caseload.
• Assist foster parents with in-home implementation of individualized treatment plans and provide crisis intervention services as needed.
• Through regular home visits, ensures that all contracted services are provided according to treatment/case plan in collaboration with the foster parent.
• Maintain regular communication with interdisciplinary team members and provide updates on progress of the case.
• Complete appropriate documentation and ensure that case records are complete and in compliance with COMAR Regulations.
• Include evening hours as necessary to conduct home visits.
• Complete a minimum of 30 in service training hours annually in order to stay in compliance with CFSA regulations and stay current with Child Welfare practice.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

• Knowledge or understanding of child welfare systems and guidance
• Master’s degree (MSW) from an accredited college or university; licensed to practice social work in DC & MD
• Culturally competent: experience with different cultures, religions, and nationalities.
• Experience in family therapy and/or trauma informed therapy.
• Must have reliable and accessible transportation
• Valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance.
• Required to pass to child protection clearances, federal and state criminal histories.
• Required to pass background and drug screen, and TB test

Preferred Skills

• Experienced in data collection systems
• Ability to manage time well.
• Ability to work independently and in a group.